Member Bio
Hello! I’m Aaron. This is my story. Growing up in Texas, I was always surrounded by people. My family has always been social, which is why I love interacting with others. People give me energy and purpose in life. In high school, I was known as the friend who always had a point-and-shoot camera on him. I would photograph everything my group of friends would do. It was always about “capturing the moment” for me, I never wanted to forget these experiences we shared. By senior year, dozens of moms reached out to me directly asking for photos for their son’s high school scrapbook. I will always remember that feeling of being able to provide someone with lasting memories. My family saw this new spark in me and surprised me with my first Canon DSLR as my graduation gift. That camera changed my life. I spent that summer in Chicago, living with my brother, before heading up to Milwaukee to attend Marquette University. The art of photography quickly became an obsession for me. I would spend evenings taking a beginners photography class and spend the days exploring the Windy City, capturing photos of various people and landscapes. The photos from that summer are among my most prized possessions. My brother, Nathan, captured this photo of me at the Adler Planetarium Skyline Walk in Chicago. (2010) Throughout my undergrad, I took on several leadership opportunities and interned for nonprofits that allowed me to grow as a photographer: Marquette’s First Year Photography Project, Marquette’s Office of Marketing & Communication, Penfield’s Children Center, and the Pablove Foundation. These internships taught me so much about people, creating compelling content, and how to build relationships. Aaron Jay Photography was born in 2010 as a hobby and has evolved into a successful business with the purpose of capturing the moments that can never be repeated. I love knowing the special moments I capture through my lens will be cherished forever. I moved to Richmond, Virginia in 2014 and quickly adopted Sami, my beautiful redbone coonhound. In 2015, we swiped right on Tim and his Belizean Fur Prince, Sullivan. Within months of meeting this handsome nurse, I knew Richmond would become my forever home. In 2019, I proposed at the restaurant where we first met, and we’re tying the knot in October 2021.